In former times, some missionary efforts were aligned with militaristic imperialism. Are the terrible expressions of colonialism being promoted by contemporary missionaries? Professor Celucien Joseph reminds us there is a better way.

For many years, I have been thinking about the interreligious conflict between Christianity and other religions in the world, and the work of Christian missionaries in international mission and cross-cultural evangelization. In the context of Haiti, for example, the conflict lies in the relationship between Vodou and Christianity, Christians and Vodouizan. As will be observed, the essay below reveals my values, ethics, theology, my understanding of human cultures and cross-cultural friendship, my understanding of the message of the Gospel and its demands upon people, and the infinite value of Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice for the world. My target-audience is Christian missionaries who are investing in cross-cultural evangelization and international mission.

Image: Jose Martin

Historically, the practice of Christian mission and evangelization, both at the cross-cultural and international level, has been influenced by American-Western ideology of conquest and an attempt to deracinate the culture and traditions of the people being evangelized. Correspondingly, Christian mission and evangelization has been operating from the foundational philosophy of the superiority of American and European cultures and value-systems, and the belief in the triumphal achievements of Western countries in global history. Also, the rhetoric of Christian mission and evangelization has also been shaped by the rhetoric of dehumanization and demonization, as circulated in American-Western books, media, and news outlets, of non-white and Western people. In short, Christian international mission and cross-cultural evangelization has been detrimental to the values, cultures, and concerns of brown and non-Western people.

Unfortunately, many Christian missionaries originated from powerful Western countries and supported aggressive Western interventions such as wars, coups, economic sanctions and embargoes—often resulting in deaths, abject poverty, and underdevelopment. These Christians claimed they were called to serve as missionaries and evangelists, to the great dishonor of the Gospel of peace, interpreting these human-made tragedies, catastrophes, suffering, and pain as part of the divine plan for the Gospel to penetrate that foreign land. To continue to contribute to the (on-going) misery and suffering of the people one is called to reach is the very antithesis of the Gospel of peace and reconciliation. Such attitudes clearly indicates a grave misunderstanding of the task of the Christian missionary and the essence of biblical Christianity—as if one were to support a politics of human destruction and an ethics of death: social, existential, and physical.

In the same line of thought, the Christian missionary should never sustain international policies and diplomatic-immigration laws that will lead to the obliteration of (foreign) individuals, and the separation and dehumanization of the families of the people they are called to love and reach overseas. Because you are called to be a peacemaker and light of the world, God has also urged you to be on the side of the poor, the vulnerable, the economically-oppressed, and correspondingly, to defend their rights to exist and be free. The Gospel is about the activation of God’s justice and goodness in the world, and the application of divine justice in the social order; thus, the missionary-messenger should be a fierce bearer of human justice and a zealous promoter of God’s intended goal to harmonize everything and make all things right.

“Will I be laid off?”

“Can my children avoid drugs, violence and promiscuity?”

How will this surgery go? No matter how much we do to ensure positive outcomes, life brims with causes for worry. Anxiety arises whenever we fear possible loss or harm to our person, family, relationships or possessions. If we depend on our own resources, we can’t avoid worry, for no matter how much we have, we never know if it’s enough.

In limited doses anxiety motivates us. The apprehension I feel as I face deadlines focuses my energies, helping me to function at maximum efficiency. Excessive anxiety, however, however, robs us of peace of mind. It reduces our reasoning and learning ability, memory, creativity and productivity. Prolonged anxiety can lead to serious health problems.

How do people keep anxiety at a bearable level? Some avoid sources of anxiety. If meeting people makes us uneasy, we’ll skip it as much as possible. Others try to escape anxiety. Studies show that women tend to cope by overeating, while men favor alcohol and drugs. For many, keeping busy provides relief, yet worry lurks just below the surface.

Instead of relying on inadequate solutions, I have found ten principles to be effective in managing anxiety:

Prevention. We should not allow circumstances to shape our lives if we can do something about them. Instead of worrying about whether our job will become obsolete, for example, we can prepare for other employment options.

People. Talking with others brings our anxieties into the open, where it’s harder for our imagination to magnify them out of proportion. Examined objectively, anxieties look less menacing. When problems merit concern, supportive relationships save us from struggling alone.

Concern for the needs of others helps to take our mind off our own anxieties and put them in perspective. Karl Menninger’s prescription for depression works equally well with anxiety. He advised helping someone with a greater need than ours. Jesus taught, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:39).

At the end of your rope?

Physical Well-being. Physical conditions affect our emotions. When we fail to get adequate rest, nutrition or exercise, we experience low moods and fatigue, intensifying our anxieties; a healthy body, on the other hand, promotes a sense of well-being.

Professional Help. When anxieties persist, we may want to search for deeper causes. Millions suffer from internal conflicts, while others are genetically more prone to worry. For the latter, self-awareness and a sense of humor help. Disease, dietary imbalance or neurological malfunctioning can also contribute to anxiety. Depending on the problem, a counselor, physician or pastor can be helpful.

Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter, The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever: From Pentecost to the Present (Destiny Image Publishers, 2000), 231 pages.

I like history and I like revival history most of all. For this reason, I found this book enjoyable. It is an easy-to-read presentation of ten revivals that the authors selected as the greatest to have occurred since the Church began. The revivals were put in the order of importance based upon the opinions of 17 of the best-known preachers in the world.

The greatest revival is cited as the 1904 revival that began in Wales, touched Korea and Manchuria, and ended at Azuza Street. If you are a Pentecostal, you will not be content with the scope accorded the greatest revival for you will not read it culminating in 600,000,000 full gospel adherents across the globe. Indeed, to my viewpoint, the book suffers from its lack of a Pentecostal perspective.

Putting aside my preference, Towns and Porter list the first Great Awakening from 1727 to 1750 with Zinzendorf, Wesley, Whitefield, and Edwards as the second greatest revival. The third greatest was the post independence revival from 1780 to Cane Ridge in the early 1800’s. Then we go to Finney and the Hawaiian Revival lead by Titus Coan in the first half of the 19^th century. The book also cites the Layman’s pre-civil war prayer revival, the Second World War revival, the Jesus people/baby boomers of the 1960’s and 70’s, the pre-reformation Lollards and Savronarola, the 16^th Century reformation and the original revival of Acts 2 called Pentecost.

Dr. Elmer Towns is a college and seminary professor and an author of popular and scholarly works. He co-founded Liberty University with Jerry Falwell in 1971.

I found much new material in the book, including little told stories of people and places that added to my overall knowledge of this fascinating subject. I also found the insights of the authors to be provoking and valuable. My own treatment of the history of revival starting in 1300 AD is a continuum of a loving God calling people who for some reason were compelled to initially seek or to offer to others His blessing into periods of visitation that changed much of the community forever and builds ever more upon what has passed.

Treating revivals as unrelated and uncommon incidents as this book does, in my view, takes away from the purposes of God in his never ending efforts to bring man to salvation. Revivals are wonderful periods in the life of believers. They also are demanding and exhausting periods and—as with any move of God—bring all sorts of controversy and scorn to the fore for discussion and absorption. Revivals mean lack of sleep, time for everyday things and all sorts of consequences.

May the Lord revive us all again and again.

Reviewed by H. Murray Hohns

Read an excerpt from Elmer Towns’ website: http://elmertowns.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/10_Greatest_Revivals_EverETowns.pdf

From the Worship Leader series.

I like the “Five Step Discipleship model” I learned from John Wimber:

1. Lead worship with a worship leader in training in attendance.
2. Have that person play alongside you while you lead.
3. Have that person lead while you play alongside him or her.
4. Talk about the worship time afterward.
5. Finish the process by letting them lead alone.

As long as you’re a page ahead of the people you’re leading, you have something to say!

Copyright Stan Myers. Used with permission.

Be committed to building God’s kingdom, not your own. If there’s only one weekly meeting in your church, you might have to share your space! Co-lead with an apprentice. Gradually increase his or her levels of responsibility.

Worship leaders have more authority when their lives match their songs. Outstanding worshippers in the Bible are also noted for their acts of service to God. Furthermore, when the church sees someone who is “going for it” in God’s kingdom they are more willing to follow that person in worship.

At the Anaheim Vineyard, we have a gifted worship leader named Mike Kinnen. Mike spearheaded worship in a local church plant. He had lots of responsibilities that were new to him, like raising up a worship band and worship with a P.A. system. Then, he raised up other worship leaders and left them doing it in his place. I like to work with risk-takers who don’t quit even when the going gets tough.

You can’t lead people that don’t want to follow you. The most fruitful mentoring relationships I’ve have are those in which there is mutual admiration between the two parties. If a person has the skills, experience, knowledge, perspective and character that I admire, I’ll have a reason to pursue them.

The best worship band leaders are good pastors and leaders. Worship team members need to be cared for as people, not just deployed as musicians. If a young leader has a compassionate heart and is a good people person, he or she can be trained to pastor.

Give someone a little responsibility and see how it goes. It is important to determine if the worship trainee is “faithful with the little things.” Even if God speaks to you powerfully about a person’ calling, a proven track record will confirm what god has shown you before you give someone a permanent position.

The Classroom

The basics of worship and worship leading can be taught once or twice a year through a six or eight session course. Worship leaders and take more advance course once they are leading. When they find out what they don’t know, they’re more teachable.!